TV

Our Sites

Mixtape Premiere: Black Dave "Black Bart"

After letting go several tracks and a music video for "Take It Back," Black Dave releases his latest project, Black Bart. The mixtape has guest appearances from Bodega Bamz, Smoke DZA, Boldy James, and RiFF RAFF. The majority of Black Bart's production comes from Shy Guy, but he is assisted behind the boards by Trapzillas, VeryRVRE, and Nick Catchdubs. The project takes advantage of its title by incorporating samples of scenes from the Simpsons television show.

Dave's collaboration with RiFF RAFF, "Golden Boys," finds RiFF RAFF more subdued than he normally is. He talks about making the decision to abandon the traditional career paths that would have made his father proud to gain the stardom that he currently has, appropriate ground to cover considering the recent expose from the LA Weekly. However, he proves that nothing has changed, calling himself "Rap Game Floyd Mayweather" and talking about how he is living the life that his high school principal can't afford.

Dave is a part of the ongoing "New New York" renaissance, having grown up in The Bronx. Sonically, he's finding his own lane, utilizing ambient synths and booming 808s. Like most of the other rappers emerging from the city now, Dave has lyrical proficiency. However, unlike most of his peers, he is deep-rooted in the city's skateboarding scene, as a longtime amateur for Zoo York. His unique background allows for Dave to address issues of identity crisis in his music.

Stream the mixtape below. Dave will be performing at Scion's Open Mic series alongside Pro Era tomorrow at the Knitting Factory in Brooklyn.